The demand for mobile data and voice communication continues to evidence a significant growth. Examples for wireless communication systems include cellular-based wireless communication networks. Such networks include various network nodes. The network nodes may include base stations which respectively provide coverage for a radio cell.
A terminal device located outside of the coverage areas of the base stations cannot communicate with a radio access network of the wireless communication system. To improve the coverage of the wireless communication system, the number and density of installed base stations may be increased to provide additional radio cells. Alternatively or additionally, dedicated repeaters may be provided. With a repeater, the signals transmitted between a base station and a terminal device may be repeated, i.e. forwarded or sent again, in order to improve network coverage. The dedicated repeaters may be fixedly installed or may be mobile devices.
In addition to the extension of coverage achievable by a deployed repeater, there may be other reasons for using a repeater. One scenario may be that the wireless communication system shall be able to dynamically increase its network coverage to support emergency services required for public safety requirements. Therefore, in such a communication system it may be required to quickly expand network coverage and/or capacity at specific locations.
To dynamically adjust the network coverage and/or capacity, device-to-device (D2D) communication may be used in which traffic is relayed by a user equipment to a further user equipment. Conventional approaches for traffic relaying may not be adequate to enhance a coverage and/or capacity for system control signaling.